Tuesday, January 23, 2007Percentage of clerks by school (The percentage represents the % of a given class that will be clerking for the 2007-2008 term. The denominators for class size include both full-time and part-time students. The numerators are not adjusted to exclude alumni who will clerk from current students, and include both alumni and current students.)

EDIT: Likewise, that site is basically self-reported stats. As its author explains, "I've just been compiling it from this blog and comments posted, and from the Clerkship Notification Blog and comments posted there. That's it. Feel free to continue to share--many appreciate it."

1) I did just look. Hardly any non-V100 pay 100k or more in Florida. 2 firms pay over 100K in Orlando. 2 in West Palm. 1 in Fort Lauderdale. 1 in Naples. 1 in Tampa. Zero in Boca, zero in Fort Myers, zero in Jacksonville, zero in St. Pete, zero in Tallahasse. That's 7 firms paying 100k or more. Not to mention, the Florida offices are not hiring associates in large numbers like in NY or Chicago.

3) Florida has terrible placement out of state. Martidale.com shows very few UF law grads working at BigLaw outside the state. Moreover, Florida only had one Federal clerk last year.

Here are a few more things to consider:There are many other firms in other Florida cities, like the ones you mentioned above.Not all firms are listed on infirmation.The site is not updated too frequently. Some stats are a year or more old meaning some firms paying in the high 80s and upwards of 90k may be paying six figures now.

You keep going back and fourth in discussion between V100 and non V100 firms. To make it clear last time,I am referring to all firms paying Florida market, V100 or not.

3. Not every lawyer in the country, in any state, or even from UF is on Martindale or whatever website you are using as a source. There are a number of state clerkships in addition to federal clerkships. UF grads typically don't leave the state, but according to your stats, 17% or so of them do, its probable that many of these are top grads making room for firms to dig deeper. What part of this don't you understand?

Please do more research before you post again.

1.It has gotten confusing as to whether you wanted V100 firms included or not. Now that we have established that you generally mean all firms paying 100k, it is important to look your stats. You note 4 firms in Jacksonville pay 100k. One of them, Dewey and LeBoeuf, has only 4 total associates in their entire office. You note 5 firms in Orlando pay 100k. One of them, Foley and Larner, only has 13 associates in their entire office. You note 4 firms in Tampa pay 100k. One of them, DLA Piper, only has 12 associates in their entire office.

These type of numbers indicate that many of the 100k Florida firms will only be hiring around 2 associates per year. Even if there are 30 of these firms, there is not enough room for top 25% at UF.

Many of the firms you have listed do minimal hiring and some are merely satellite offices of major firms. Yes they pay highly, but they don't hire many associates.

3. Martindale is a solid source. It shows the mediocre placement of UF outside Florida.

4. I think another telling stat is the US News employment number for UF. UF has 74% employed at graduation compared to 80% for FSU.

You are making this too personal. I have nothing against UF. It has the best BigLaw placement of any school in Florida. But it is absurd to say that the top 25% have a realistic shot at market rate BigLaw. Only the top 10% do.

I still want to know where you read that UF only had one federal clerkship. Bless me with your empirical evidence, oh great one.

OP said Florida V100 firms recruit into the top 25% at UF. The top 25% at UF equals approx. 115 students. There are less than 50 associate spots each year at the V100 firms in the entire state of Florida.

I don't think anyone here is necessarily talking about V100 firms.

1) 83% of UF grads are employed in-state. It is a regional school with local placement, even for the top 10%. This is evidenced by the dearth of UF grads at BigLaw firms outside the state of Florida. 2) Even if you add in the tiny handful of non-V100 firms that pay true market BigLaw rates, the math still does not work. With such a limited number of BigLaw jobs, and the reality that 83% of the class is staying in-state, it is absurd to contend that 115 students (the top 25%) at UF alone will have a serious shot a BigLaw. 3) There is no evidence to support, nor does common sense support, the idea that the top 25% would not be vying for the highest paying jobs.

1.There are fewer than a hundred, but tens of firms paying Florida market, which is 6 figures but less than other places. Check out the link I posted from infirmation.

3. Many people in the top 25% will be going after these jobs, but not every single person. It is also likely that UF grads traveling out of state will be top grads whose success in law school has afforded them that sort of probability. There is another minority wanting a public interest career. Others go for clerkships or other government work. There is no evidence to counter this, and common sense supports it quite well.

1) I did just look. Hardly any non-V100 pay 100k or more in Florida. 2 firms pay over 100K in Orlando. 2 in West Palm. 1 in Fort Lauderdale. 1 in Naples. 1 in Tampa. Zero in Boca, zero in Fort Myers, zero in Jacksonville, zero in St. Pete, zero in Tallahasse. That's 7 firms paying 100k or more. Not to mention, the Florida offices are not hiring associates in large numbers like in NY or Chicago.

3) Florida has mediocre placement out of state. Martidale.com shows very few UF law grads working at BigLaw outside the state. Moreover, Florida only had one Federal clerk last year.

My uncle works for Foley and Lardner in Orlando and he said they recruit alot of UF grads. He went to Duke so he has no reason to fabricate the truth for a school that he has no ties to.

1. "alot" is not a word.2. Orlando? No wonder. I'd imagine firms in Orlando would dip even deeper than that. Who do you know that wants to settle down in Orlando after school? People end up there; others--including those from out-of-state--WANT to end up in the other major cities around FL.

I was talking to my uncle, who is a partner at a V60 firm in Florida, about law school and the topic of recruiting at Florida schools came up. He said that thier firm will recruit the top 25% at UF, top 10% at FSU, and at the rest of the Florida schools they will only recruit the top students. It was an interesting conversation and I thought I would share the info with those of you who are deciding between schools.

If he is really at a V60 office in Florida, I doubt his firm seriously recruits top 25% at Florida. Florida BigLaw is small to begin with and the V100 firms in the state are going to be looking at the top 10% of the class from UF.